Chelsea manager Graham Potter has praised his side following the 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second-leg tie at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
A first-half strike from winger Raheem Sterling and a retaken penalty by former Bayer Leverkusen forward Kai Havertz helped the Blues overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit to progress to the quarterfinals of the European tournament.
WHAT A TURNAROUND! ????#UCL pic.twitter.com/UtSh61jhfO
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) March 7, 2023
After the game, Potter praised his players and the Chelsea fans, who were in their numbers and visibly loud all through the game, for the crucial victory.
“Yeah, really pleased. Fantastic atmosphere, fantastic evening. The players were tremendous, the supporters were tremendous. You have to be against a team that are doing so well – 10 games on the bounce, winning,” the 47-year-old English manager said.
“But I think over the two games we deserved to go through. I thought we played a good game against Dortmund (in the first leg) but we didn’t score, but today we did. It was a special night.”
The former Brighton and Hove Albion manager, who has been under immense pressure with the Blues managing just two wins in their last 12 games in 2023, downplayed the impact of the win on the certainty of him remaining as Chelsea’s manager and further stated that Tuesday night’s win was “one of the most important of his career”.
“I don’t really think about it in that way. There are always going to be those types of questions and noise. My job is to help the team, help the players, prepare the team as best as we could and to support them,” Potter said. “They’ve been suffering as well, the players. Nobody has enjoyed the run we’ve had. That’s why today was important for us. We wanted to progress, we have, and we’re happy.”
“To win a game to go into the last eight of the Champions League, you have to say it’s up there in terms of wins and evenings in my career, for sure,” he added.
Chelsea have now won back-to-back games for the first time this year, and they will look to keep their recent form going when they visit the King Power Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday.
